05/02/2019
Washington state is proposing massage license fee changes via the rulemaking process. The proposed changes are to increase initial license, renewal, and late renewal penalty fees. The proposed fees follow:
- Application and initial license fee increase from $125 to $210
- Renewal license fee increase from $90 to $150
- Late renewal penalty fee increase from $50 to $75
Washington is proposing these changes to compensate for insufficient revenue (the Board of Massage has to be self-funded with no additional state dollars), and for the Department of Health to properly regulate the profession. The fees are being increased as disciplinary charges are going up. The Board states 24.4% of the disciplinary cases involved the unlicensed practice and pursuing these cases costs 25% of the Board's disciplinary budget. Fee changes to other professions are also being recommended.
You can comment on the proposed changes until Tuesday, May 7, 2019, to Nancy Elliott, Department of Health, via an online comment form at: https://fortress.wa.gov/doh/policyreview. When you get to the form, navigate to the "Document Title" of "WAC 246-808-990 Chiropractic fees and renewal cycle, WAC 246-830-990 Massage fees and renewal cycle, WAC 246-841-990 Nursing assistant- fees and renewal cycle WAC 246-940-990 Certified animal massage therapist fees and renewal cycle" and select "Add Comment."
You can also attend the hearing on May 7, 2019, at 1:00 p.m., at the Department of Health, Town Center 2, Room #158, 111 Israel Road S.E., Tumwater, WA 98501.
ABMP is submitting comments regarding these fee increases. We think licensed massage therapists, who are overwhelming practicing lawfully, should not bear the costs of disciplinary cases the Board is pursuing against illicit businesses. The issue of human trafficking is much larger than the massage profession. We believe amending the criminal code to have substantial criminal penalties on owners and managers who hire unlicensed individuals to perform "massage" and other codes to address landlords who lease to illicit businesses is a better way to address human trafficking. In addition, disciplined individuals should have to shoulder their disciplinary and legal costs. Massage therapy boards should not take on the burden of combating human trafficking alone and should focus their efforts on keeping licensing affordable and not a barrier for practitioners. We understand the board has to self-fund and the fee increase is probably statutorily mandated, but we don't want to see these increases moving forward. Massage therapists should not have to fight human trafficking alone.